Top archaeologist, Prof. Nikolay Ovcharov, known as the Bulgarian Indiana Jones, present the coins recently discovered at
Perperikon.

Bulgarian archaeologists expect to find at the holy rock city of Perperikon the largest ever medieval coin treasure in the country.

The announcement was made by leading Bulgarian archaeologist, Prof. Nikolay Ovcharov, after his team recently found a total 11 gold and 6 silver
coins.

The gold coins are from the 14th century while the silver ones are from the end of the 13th century.

They have been looking through the Ancient City, and believe they have found an area to investigate further. The Crapper.

The coins were found in the central town of Perperikon, near the Citadel, in the area believed to have been the residence of the very wealthy
bishops.

Ovcharov says the excavations there are continuing with expectations to discover more than 50 other gold coins.

The latest finds also include an intricate silver frame of a still-undated icon.

There is ongoing research at the two churches in the southeast area of the Acropolis while two tombs, most likely bishop ones, will be opened next
week.

Ovcharov informs that the site enjoys lasting strong interest from local and foreign visitors with an increased flow of those from neighboring Romania
and Turkey.

The unique Ancient Thracian city of Perperikon was first discovered in 1979 in the Eastern Rhodoppe Mountains. It is thought that the famous sanctuary
and oracular shrine dedicated to Dionysus of the Bessi tribe was situated there. The ancient rock city contains remains from all archaeological
periods.

Ovcharov also discovered nearby an ancient Thracian surface tomb in the village of Tatul, containing a sanctuary linked with the cult of
Orpheus.

See, the thing I love about ATS is that sometimes amid all the drivel, there are gems of interesting information here and there. I have never heard
of this place until you presented this, OP, so I love having my eyes opened to new stuff. Am now off to do some reading on this. Much appreciated.
Thanks.

Sozopol. Bulgarian archaeologists discovered a necropolis of ancient Apollonia in the coastal town of Sozopol, Director of the Museum of History
in Sozopol Dimitar Nedev announced for FOCUS News Agency.
In Nedev’s words, the burial was found in the northern part of the narthex of the three-naved basilica under the levels of the two churches.
“The situation is the following: two churches – one from VI and another from the VII century, with equal period of construction, and another one
of the X century, existing until XVII century. In the outlines of the northern part of the narthex, we found the beginning of the level of ancient
Apollonia and it is of the earliest period. A burial of a young woman was discovered – with only one utensils for scents, and the woman was
pregnant, probably died during the pregnancy,” Nedev explained.
“Today we found the burial of a small child, mayby aged up to 3 years (anthropologically the age is of 0 to 5 years), but we suppose it is aged
around 3, since the legs are very small (around 10 centimetres). The burial was done in an amphora from the Samos island, which is dated to the
beginning of the third quarter of the VI century before Christ. This is the same chronological border we set when we found the vase with the erotic
scenes; a little bit earlier than this period.”

An ancient incense vessel in the shape of a bull’s head, estimated to date from the sixth century BCE, has been found by archaeologists on St
Kirik island off the Bulgarian Black Sea town of Sozopol.

The discovery was made on the last hour of the last day of the 2012 summer archaeological season.

Public broadcaster Bulgarian National Television quoted John Stevenson, a Harvard student volunteer working on the dig, as saying that the find was a
great surprise and one of the most interesting made this season.

Archaeologist Dragomir Garbov said that the vessel probably was used by the earliest settlers in Apollonia Pontica, an ancient name for Sozopol.

The head of archaeological excavations, Kristina Panayotova, said that the find was “very rare”, the only such incense vessel in the shape of a
bull’s head that had been found in Bulgaria.

“This really is the crown of our work on St. Kirik even just for this season,” Panayotova said.

Thirty-five volunteers, including archaeological students from the United States, Canada and the UK, joined in the work on St Kirik island this
archaeological season.

Looking forward to see what this Item looks like. When I find a Photo, I will paste it here.

The archaeological season at Perperikon has concluded with researchers saying they have found new evidence that this was the place of the mythical
shrine of Dionysus.

During the last days of excavations, they also unearthed a clay altar, with a 2-meter diameter, used for religious rites.

The unique Ancient Thracian city of Perperikon was first discovered in 1979 in the Eastern Rhodoppe Mountains. It is thought that the famous sanctuary
and oracular shrine dedicated to Dionysus of the Bessi tribe was situated there. The ancient rock city contains remains from all archaeological
periods.

It will be interesting next season, to see where they get on this aspect of this Ancient Thracian City.

In general the archaeology progress of the Balkans is well behind western Europe. I suspect we'll find a number of other intersting cultures in that
area which will add some footnotes to ancient history

Although the following photo was not spoken of in the accompanying article, I believe it is a stunning piece of an ancient past that deserves to be
presented for what it is.

The marginal reference that is presented with the photo does not specify this item, but it may be the previously noted incense burner found earlier
this season. But then it "maybe" the "Vessel" noted below that held the found coins.

Prof. Agre explained the vessel containing the coins was found buried next to a tower of the fortified home of an Ancient Thracian ruler that has
been known to the Bulgarian archaeologists since 2006.

The archaeologist pointed out that there are only a few cases in which coin treasures of such scope have been found during excavations in Bulgaria.

She believes the coins in question were most likely minted by Alexander the Great or his officer and successor Lysimachus. Agre promised to provide
more information later.

And to fall back into a more Ancient Past, Scientists now believe the OLDEST Historical European
Town has been located within this remarkable region.

A file photo of the Ovech fortress near Bulgaria's Provadiya.

The oldest historical town in Europe is located near the saltpans in the vicinity of the Bulgarian northeastern town of Provadiya in the Varna
region.

The discovery has been made by Prof. Vasil Nikolov, from the National Archaeology Institute and Museum in the capital Sofia, the Bulgarian 24 Chassa
(24 Hours) daily writes Sunday.

For many years, Nikolov had been studying the Thracian mount in the yard of the Provadiya salt factory. The scientist says that it was precisely the
salt production that caused the establishing of the town there over 6 500 years ago.

Prior to this discovery, archaeologists proved that this has been the location of the first salt factory in Europe.

Prehistoric people molded the spice in the shape of bars and stored it nearby. Then scientists came upon stone walls built before 4700 BC. The
bastions protected from raids the produced salt, which had very high value, compared to today's oil prices.

Prof. Nikolov's discoveries have been confirmed so far by scientists from Japan, Great Britain and Germany, who follow closely research in
Provadiya saltpans.

SOFIA, Bulgaria — A prehistoric town unearthed in eastern Bulgaria is the oldest urban settlement found to date in Europe, a Bulgarian
archaeologist said Thursday.

Vasil Nikolov, a professor from Bulgaria's National Institute of Archaeology, said the stone walls excavated by his team near the town of Provadia
are estimated to date between 4700 and 4200 B.C. He said the walls, which are 6 feet (3 meters) high and 4.5 feet (2 meters) thick, are believed to be
the earliest and most massive fortifications from Europe's prehistory.

"We started excavation work in 2005, but only after this archaeological season did we gather enough evidence to back up this claim," Nikolov told
The Associated Press.

The team has so far unearthed remains of a settlement of two-story houses with a diameter of about 300 feet (100 meters), encircled by a fortified
wall.

Excavations have also uncovered a series of pits used for rituals as well as parts of a gate. Nikolov said carbon analysis has dated them to the
Chalcolithic age — more than a millennium before the start of the ancient Greek civilization.

"New samples of the excavations have been sent to the University of Cologne, Germany, for further evaluation," Nikolov said.

Bulgaria, a Balkan country of 7.3 million, hosts numerous Neolithic, Chalcolithic and Bronze Age settlement mounds as well as significant remains of
Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine urban centers.

The Article also spoke of the Salt Industry and made an interesting comment.

"They boiled brine from salt springs in kilns, baked it into bricks, which were then exchanged for other commodities with neighboring tribes,"
Nikolov said, citing as possible evidence the gold and copper jewelry and artifacts that have been unearthed in the region.

The most valuable is a collection of 3,000 gold pieces unearthed 40 years ago near the Black Sea city of Varna. It is believed to be the oldest
gold treasure in the world.

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